Liu Hong's punishment was only to be expected.
Xiao Jinghong was not surprised by this outcome.
What surprised her was that His Majesty had issued an edict to punish him based solely on a single memorial from her grandfather. It was far too direct.
According to the laws and procedures of the Imperial Court, for a second-rank high official to be convicted, an imperial envoy had to investigate, the Nine Ministers had to deliberate, and His Majesty had to render the final decision. Not one step could be omitted.
What was more, Liu Hong had committed the grave crime of colluding with the enemy and betraying the nation. At the very least, they had to discover who had conspired with him and whether he had accomplices.
Just like Zhu Hao.
He had privately sold ironware to the Poshushuo Kingdom through the Jizhou Trading Company. The trail was clear, and his crime deserved death. The people of the Jizhou Trading Company should likewise have been arrested and brought to justice.
The same principle applied.
Liu Hong had been in Shuzhou for many years. His influence was tangled and deep-rooted, and every family and faction that had dealings with him needed to be investigated, lest any fish slip through the net.
As Xiao Jinghong considered this, her gaze eased slightly.
Liu Hong's punishment was a good thing for both the Xiao Family and Shuzhou.
As for members of the other aristocratic families, without Liu Hong standing at the forefront, the Xiao Family's power would sooner or later uproot them one by one.
Moreover, Zhu Hao had already been brought to justice. The Xiao Family and the Dingyuan Army would have an easier time in the future.
After a moment of silence.
Xiao Xuanshuo said with a smile, "From what that Eunuch Feng